November 2025

Hello Kerouacians!

There’s a lot of cool stuff happening at the Jack Kerouac House this month. This Saturday 11/15 from 12 – 4pm we are hosting our quarterly get together of local authors, booksellers, and other literary enthusiasts, The Underground Book Fair. The following week we continue our Songwriter Club series with a house concert by Tyler Ramsey. As always, we are psyched about this month’s poetry reading and storytelling events, Storytelling @ the Kerouac House and Coffee and Poetry at Jack’s. Finally, since you are on this email list, we're inviting you to our Holiday Open House (Sat 12/06 at 6pm), an exclusive shin dig for friends and family only. All of this fun and fellowship will be held at the Jack Kerouac House of St Petersburg at 5169 10^th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710.

First, this very weekend The Underground Book Fair will be co-hosted by the Jack Kerouac House and local literary group Wordier Than Thou on Sat 11/15 from12 – 4pm.  Meet and shop with local authors, booksellers, vinyl and collectible pop-up shops, artists, organizations and more while hanging out in Jack Kerouac's St. Petersburg home.
Authors will read from and discuss their works, and the shops will talk about what they do and get you started on your Holiday shopping.  Drinks will be available for a donation and tours of the house are free.
Entry is a suggested tax-deductible donation of $5 at the door, which goes directly to maintaining the Jack Kerouac House.

Next, Songwriter Club presents Tyler Ramsey (ex Band of Horses) + host Shawn Kyle at the Jack Kerouac House St. Petersburg on November 19^th, doors at 6, show at 7pm.

Songwriter Club at the Jack Kerouac House is a series bringing national and international touring artists, as well as musician outreach to the historic home of Jack Kerouac, in St. Petersburg Florida. There are very limited seating and capacity for this songwriter listening room series, as the artists perform in Kerouac's living room with the audience seated in the living room, and additional seating stretching out into the enclosed patio. Please join us for a night of songs, in this historic atmosphere.

Tyler Ramsey is a singer-songwriter and guitarist known for his evocative, genre-blending sound that fuses folk, rock, and alternative influences. Based outside of Asheville, North Carolina, Ramsey gained widespread recognition as a key member of Band of Horses, contributing to their soaring indie-folk sound across three studio albums, each of which included Ramsey originals. As a songwriter and guitarist, his intricate playing and introspective lyricism became a defining element of the band's music.

Host of Songwriter Club, Shawn Kyle is a multiple Best of the Bay Award Winner and 14X SXSW Austin official showcasing artist; Shawn has been a journeyman musician, a singer, writer, frontman and a published multidisciplinary artist. Touring nationally with indie groups the Beauvilles, and AMFMS, he was involved touring and performing with both the Americana revival of the early 2000's and also the Psychedelic Rock and Garage revival of the 2010's. Kyle is currently working on an EP of new songs co-written with Grammy Award winner Jim Lauderdale.

A cash bar by donation will be open before and in between the performances. Proceeds from the show support the touring artist, as well as the Jack Kerouac House nonprofit organization. Get your tickets now because this one will sell out.
Tickets

Next, November’s Storytelling @ the Kerouac House will be on Saturday 11/22 from 7-9pm (doors 6:30) and will feature storyteller Will Luera with Autumn Steiner opening.  Our own in-house storyteller extraordinaire Victoria Dym will emcee and also tell.
Will Luera is the Executive Director of Lifeline Productions, Director of Training at DreamLarge, Director of Big Bang Improv, and serves as the Artistic Director Emeritus of ImprovBoston.  Will also was a part of the 2022 cohorts of Leadership Sarasota and Art Equity and the 2023 cohort of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute.  Will tours globally as an improv comedy actor, instructor, director and performs and teaches regularly all across North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Our opener for November's Storytelling @ The Kerouac House is Autumn Steiner, a Sarasota-based improviser, actor, and storyteller. She performs regularly as a member of the Florida Studio Theatre Improv cast.
To tell at the open mic (5-7 minutes), sign up at the event with emcee Victoria Dym. Refreshments and snacks will be served at intermission; wine and beer available at the cash bar. Come to listen and/or tell! There will be limited seating. Tickets are $10 plus tax and a service fee; donations go directly to the Jack Kerouac House.  For more info and Tickets:
                        Tickets   Facebook Event Page

We’re lucky to have our featured poet Lennie Hay at this month's Coffee and Poetry at Jack's onSun 12/23 from 3-6pm. Local writer, poet, storyteller, comedian, and actor Victoria Dym will be our guest emcee and also read.
Our poet in residence Larry Jaffe will not be able to attend, and asked if I would share the following with you:
Dear Poets and Friends, I am taking a short sabbatical (Till January) to handle a medical situation. Victoria Dym, whom I know you all love, will be hosting in my place. Please give her and of course the Kerouac House your support. Thank you for your support.
Let poetry liberate the soul!!! Love, Larry
Lennie Hay is a 2019 MFA graduate of Spalding University, Louisville, KY. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, and masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Louisville. She grew up in the Midwest between two cultures—Chinese immigrants and German Ukrainian farmers.
Lennie draws energy for her poetry from her family’s history, the natural world, visual art, food, and music. Lennie has been published in journals such as the Louisville Review, Literary Accents, Heartland Review, the Shanghai Literary Review and others, as well as in three anthologies. Her book Lost in America was published in 2024 by Broadstone Books. She has a new book, Feeding the Dead, forthcoming from Broadstone Books in 2026.
The reading starts at 3pm, doors at 2:30pm. So come on by and grab a cup of joe and complimentary pastries, listen to the work of some of our best local poets, or even read a poem of your own if you feel so inclined. You can sign up to recite with our resident poet and emcee Victoria Dym when you get to Jack’s house. Tickets are limited and they are $10 each plus tax and fees.
Facebook Event Page Tickets

Finally, Come join us for our Holiday Open House on December 5, 2025 from 6-8 PM. We'll have festive decorations, delicious treats, and plenty of holiday cheer! This will be an exclusive, festive gathering at Jack's House, where we will celebrate the close of another successful year and express our gratitude to all of you. Enjoy an evening filled with music, food, and cheer! This is a great opportunity to meet new people, support our mission, and tour the house. Don't miss out on this special event!

Jack's Holiday Open House is a free, invitation only event, but we would still like you RSVP/register on the following Eventbrite ticket page so we know how many drinks and treats we should have on hand: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holiday-open-house-tickets-1967219196573?aff=oddtdtcreator

The party will be on December 5, 2025 from 6-8 PM at the Jack Kerouac House, 5169 10th Ave N, St Pete 33710.

That's all for now. See you at the Kerouac House!